As Auburn begins serious preparations for Tommy Tuberville’s ninth season as head coach, there are positions that are deep and talented, positions that are talented and not so deep and positions that are deep and talented but inexperienced.

As with any college football team, there are Auburn players that would be difficult if not impossible to adequately replace. So who are the players Auburn could least afford to lose?

Following is my list of the top 10. It’s not a list of the 10 best players on the team, mind you, but a list of the 10 individuals most important to Auburn’s hopes of having a big season.

1. Quarterback Brandon Cox. Nothing is more important to making a run at a championship than having a talented, intelligent and experienced quarterback. Cox is all those things.

2. Middle linebacker Tray Blackmon. Auburn’s most explosive defensive player, Blackmon has played just six games in his career because of off-field issues. He is the kind of player who can make offenses change what they do just to deal with him. With linebacker being the most questionable position on Auburn’s defense, Blackmon needs to have a big year and control things in the middle.

3. Defensive end Quentin Groves. It’s not that there aren’t quality players behind Groves. There are. But players of his caliber can single-handedly change the course of games (see Alabama last season).

4. Center Jason Bosley. Bosley is hard-nosed, athletic and exceptionally bright. All those things are important at center, which is where everything starts on every play. The center is second only to the quarterback when it comes to making sure the right play is run in the right way. Bosley is the only player on the Auburn team who has ever lined up at center in a game.

5. Fullback Carl Stewart. He might be Auburn’s best all-around player. Stewart can run, block and catch. He’s tremendously intelligent. There’s not another player in sight who can do all the things he can do and do them nearly as well.

6. Offensive tackle King Dunlap. Dunlap has been good, but he has yet to achieve the immense promise his physical ability gives him. However, were he to go down, it would leave a hole at left tackle that would probably have to be filled by someone who has played little if at all.

7. Wide receiver Rod Smith. Auburn has plenty of talented receivers, probably more than most people realize, but Smith is clearly the leader. He walked on, earned a scholarship and has the respect of his teammates and coaches. He’s clearly the go-to guy. Without him, there would be no clear No. 1.

8. Tight end Cole Bennett. Auburn won without him last season and has two talented players in sophomores Tommy Trott and Gabe McKenzie behind him. But Auburn coaches will tell you that Bennett blocks as well as any tight end they’ve been around, in addition to being a sure-handed receiver.

9. Safety Aairon Savage. Auburn coaches believe Savage has All-America potential. If he were to go down, he’d probably be replaced by another player with All-America potential, but it would be a true freshman in Mike McNeil.

10. Kickoff returner Tristan Davis. With kickoffs coming from the 30-yard line this season, there’ll be more returns than ever. Davis might be the nation’s best.

**** damn near forgot bout Tristan Davis... 4th string Running Back... carried 11 times for 209 Yds. including 8 for 162 and a TD against Kentucky in 05

Auburn picked up its seventh verbal commitment for the 2008 football signee class on Sunday when Shades Valley High School defensive end Cameron Henderson chose the Tigers.

The 6-6, 220-pounder received an offer from Auburn after a strong performance in a July 14th prospect camp on the AU campus. He says that the camp experience went well and he left with a good feeling about Tommy Tuberville’s program.

The defensive end, who is being recruited by AU defensive ends coach Terry
Price, notes that his camp performance wasn’t the only thing the coaches liked. “I sent them a tape recently and then they offered me after that,” he points out.

Henderson, who is the cousin of current Auburn linebacker Merrill Johnson, says he chose the Tigers over offers from Arkansas and Mississippi State.

He goes into his senior season as a two-year starter in basketball for Shades Valley as a power forward while he will be looking to start for a second season in football.

He is also looking for a more successful season for his team on the football field. “We should be better than we were last year,” he says. “We were kind of a bad team.”

As a junior, Henderson says he finished the season with 90 tackles with six quarterback sacks. He also recovered two fumbles. In basketball, he averaged 12 points and nine rebounds per contest.

The defensive end says he didn’t grow up a fan of any particular college football program, but points out the last couple of years since he started getting into football he has been impressed with how Auburn plays the game.

In the classroom, Henderson is also looking to the future. “I want to major in business or something like that,” he says. “I am not an honor student, but I am doing all right,” says Henderson, who adds that he is on track to be an academic qualifier in the class of 2008.

*****were k!lling sh*t with all the 3 stars we got now..hahha.. naw but kid looks like he could end up being a beast .... ill say it again Tuberville might be best talent developer in the SEC (along w/ his staff of a.ssistants) our a.ssistant coaches are raw

Talk about it in The Bunker
Auburn defensive tackles coach Don Dunn appreciates a player who lays it on the line for every rep at every practice. So far this fall, redshirt freshman Zach Clayton has done that.

Clayton has fought through the heat and the fatigue to make a positive impression on Dunn and a push up the depth chart.

It was especially evident in Sunday's practice with Clayton excelling in several drills including a dominating performance in a pass rush drill.

AuburnSports.com
Clayton earns praise from Dunn following a pass-rush drill.
"(Clayton) had a good day on pass rush," said Dunn. "He took a step forward today. He came out there and got after it, physical. It wasn't great technique, but he was physical as heck."

Clayton also worked with the second-team during team drills, making a case to be part of the playing rotation at one of AU's deepest positions.

Another d-tackle that continued his strong fall camp Sunday was junior Pat Sims who appears to be solidifying his first-team role.

In addition to moving Oscar Gonzalez to right tackle and giving King Dunlap some reps on the right side, offensive line coach Hugh Nall also moved a couple of other o-linemen around as he searches for the right combination.

With starting center Jason Bosley still recovering from a strained pectoral muscle, senior Leon Hart moved from starting right guard to first-team center while Mike Berry, who had been working as the backup center, moved up to the first-team at right guard.

One of the team's most talented young linemen, Berry may also get reps at the right tackle position in the coming days.

"I'm just going to keep coming out and working hard," said Berry. "Coach Nall is going to put the best players in.

"It would just be good to play, especially after being redshirted. I'm just looking forward to making the field some."

Berry says he's up to playing any position, wherever the team needs him.

"We're just trying to get together as a unit and he's trying to find the starting five," said Berry.

A new look

When it comes to rushing the passer on third-and-long, defensive ends coach Terry Price is adamant about getting AU's four best pass rushers on the field together, even if that means using a linebacker.

Sunday, true freshman Bo Harris, who's already making a big impression at strongside linebacker, joined the defensive line at the end of a pass rushing drill. Harris fared well, showing his quickness and speed as he slipped past an o-lineman a couple of times.

"(Harris) has got some ability, without a doubt," said Price. "On third-and-long, I don't care who goes out there. We're going to determine who our best guys are, get a good two-deep of d-linemen that can rush on third down. If he's good enough to do it, he'll do it.

"We'll play whoever, it can be a linebacker, d-end or d-tackle. Early in camp is a great time to find out who can rush the quarterback and who can't."

Quick Hitters:

***According to Tommy Tuberville, players looking to earn a spot in the playing rotation have about one more week to make a positive impression.

"We had a good long practice," said Tuberville. "We're trying to get everybody in. Nobody's really tired today because the lines are real long. We're going to do this for about a week, and then we'll start cutting it down to two teams."

That includes the backup QB battle, which should be whittled down from four to two by early next week.

***Tuberville said Sunday that Carl Stewart would probably be out another week with his hamstring injury.

***The biggest offensive play in the 11-on-11 team drill came when RB Tristan Davis took off for a long gain down the right sideline behind a big block from Berry. QB Brandon Cox also connected with TE Cole Bennett for a 23-yard pass.

***On defense, DB Eric Brock intercepted a Cox pass and Zach Gilbert had a big day with two pass breakups. LB Chris Evans was credited with a pass breakup after not being able to hold onto a potential interception.

***Both Zach Kutch and Wes Byrum were 4-of-4 in the field goal competition at the end of Sunday's practice. Graham Sutter was 3-of-4 while Ross Gornall was just 2-of-4.

***Gadsden (Ala.) City junior tight end Darrell Smith was a visitor at AU's Sunday practice. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Smith is a top in-state prospect to watch for 2009.

***Auburn will don full pads for the first time Monday with practice scheduled to being at 9:45 a.m.

Talk about it in The Bunker
Auburn offensive line coach Hugh Nall spent the first three days of preseason practice searching for a satisfactory answer at right tackle.

Sunday, Nall widened his search.

Sophomore Oscar Gonzalez, who has practiced at left tackle most of his Auburn career, spent Sunday's session working at right tackle with the first-team offense. Gonzalez joins a heated competition that already pitted sophomore Andrew McCain against junior Antwoin Daniels.

Todd Van Emst
Gonzalez could be the answer for AU at right tackle.
"Whoever is ready to play, he plays. I'm trying to get there."

McCain and Daniels battled for the position in spring practice, with McCain being named the starter in the post-spring depth chart. But when preseason practice began last week, neither player lived up to Nall's expectations.

"Somebody's got to step up at that position," Nall said last Tuesday. "I wasn't happy with that position coming out of spring, completely. I thought they did some good things but not enough."

Nall hinted that he was ready to make a change at right tackle, though he never mentioned Gonzalez.

"We need that position to produce, whether it's them or a freshman or moving someone from the other side or whatever it may be," Nall said. "We've got to get our right tackle positions solidified."

Gonzalez acquitted himself well during pass-rush drills and 11-on-11 team work. In pass-rush, the 6-foot-7, 292-pound Gonzalez won three straight matchups with redshirt freshman end Michael Goggans.

Gonzalez played in two games as a reserve last season. This year, he's ready to be the answer Nall is looking for at right tackle.

"Whatever I can play," he said with a smile. "I'll get on center. Wherever I can help."

Of course, practicing at the position for an afternoon is a long way from winning the job. But Gonzalez is determined to make an impact.

"Nothing is official yet," he said. "I'm working on making it official."

Gonzalez's move was the biggest along the line on Sunday, but there was one other shakeup. With starting center Jason Bosley still sidelined with a strained pectoral muscle, senior Leon Hart shifted from first-team right guard to first-team center.

Redshirt freshman Mike Berry moved into the top spot at right guard.

True freshman Ryan Pugh got most of the second-team snaps at center in 11-on-11 work.

Bosley's absence continued to be noticeable in 11-on-11 drills. All five quarterbacks had problems with the center-quarterback exchange.

"We're working on it – just about getting used to it," starting quarterback Brandon Cox said. "We don't have a problem until we get into team drills, when the tempo is a little higher. We'll probably still have a couple of problems, but it will work itself out."

Head coach Tommy Tuberville said Bosley is expected back in the next few days.

bad news though .. one of the few veteran LBs we had... feel bad for him

The first day of full pads went well for the Auburn Tigers but one player was noticeably not on the field and in shorts for the Monday morning practice and things could remain that way for quite and while and possibly permanently. Suffering from his third concussion since suffering one in bowl practice in December, linebacker Steve Gandy is being held out of practice and he says it’s something that could be permanent.

“I’m not really thinking about it too much,” Gandy says. “I’m going to let God deal with it. I’m just kind of debating things right now. I have had some light headaches but it’s not really hurting anymore. It’s basically just headaches.”

The injury occurred during practice on Saturday when Gandy hit fullback Danny Perry on an inside running drill. He says he didn’t really feel it until after practice. Because of the frequency of the concussions, Gandy says he’s in contact with the doctors and if he has to give up the game it will be tough on him.

”Words can’t explain (how difficult it would be to give up football),” he says. “You put some much into it and do it for so long. It just means so much. I have been playing since I was five so it would be hard to go through a season without preparing or doing ball. But, if that’s what I have to do for me, that’s what I’ll do.

”It will be my choice,” he adds. “Whatever way I want to go with it, it will be my decision. I’m just praying and talking with my family trying to decide what is the best for Steve.”

Without Gandy on the field the linebacker corps becomes even thinner, something the Auburn coaches say can be helped by some of the younger players stepping up and performing well. So far in camp Coach Will Muschamp says he’s been impressed by several of the linebackers with a usual name leading the way.

”Tray has had a good camp thus far,” Muschamp says of starting middle linebacker Tray Blackmon. “Merrill Johnson has played well thus far. Bo Harris has been a pleasant surprise. He’s a guy that has come in and done a good job. Craig Stevens has done a good job. Besides that we’ve got to have more guys step up that are able to make plays in space.”

Getting a look at the full squad in pads for the first time, the Tigers spent a large portion of the day in full team groups working on both the running and passing game. Having a chance to mix in some guys to get a taste of what they can do when called upon, Muschamp says things went well but it’s not much different than what they have been doing the first five days of practice.

”Our tempo in full pads is much the same as it is in shells,” Muschamp says. “It’s thud tempo and we stay up. We try to keep everybody off the ground. We don’t want to get anybody injured out here. Our tempo is really not a whole lot different, we’ve just got kneepads in there. We trick them and tell them it’s shells and they think it’s shells.

”I have been pleased so far,” he adds. “We’ve been practicing for five days and we’ve still got 23 more practices before Kansas State. We’ve got to continue to improve and take steps forward every day.”

One of the areas that Muschamp is taking a long look is at safety where Aairon Savage has kept a steady hold on his spot with the first team ahead of Michael McNeil while senior Eric Brock and redshirt freshman Zac Etheridge continue to battle for the number one spot on the other side. Muschamp says that’s a competition that looks like it will continue for a while.

”We’ve got four guys back there that are going to play for us that I know right now,” Muschamp says. “We’ve got to continue those guys to press forward. Michael has gone through five practices and he’s a mature kid. He works hard at football both on and off the field. He comes in the meeting rooms prepared. He understands that he’s got to understand off the field before he can understand on the field. He’s been what we felt like he was going to be but he’s a freshman and let’s let him be a freshman.”

Elsewhere in the secondary, Jerraud Powers worked with the first team ahead of Patrick Lee on Monday while Jonathan Wilhite was the first team guy on the right side. Up front on the defense Zach Clayton was again a terror in pass rush drills and looks like he’s stepped it up a notch. Out of the freshman, Antoine Carter had a strong day and soundly defeated Andrew McCain in one-on-one drills.

That signaled the return of Mike Berry to offensive tackle for a portion of the Monday practice. Unhappy with the play of both McCain and Oscar Gonzalez, offensive line Coach Hugh Nall moved Berry to right tackle where he worked in addition to seeing time at both guard and center. He was forced into action at center after freshman Ryan Pugh sprained an ankle. It didn’t appear to be serious but he sat out the remainder of practice.

In team drills the offense had several nice plays with the quarterbacks having one of their better days. Brandon Cox hit tight end Tommy Trott down the middle of the field for a big gainer. Blake Field’s deep ball to Tim Hawthorne led to a fantastic one-hand catch on the sidelines. Neil Caudle and Mario Fannin connected on a wheel route just over the outstretched arms of Stevens down the sidelines while Steven Ensminger finished the good day off with a perfect corner route to Hawthorne during the red zone drill for a touchdown. It finished off a strong day by Hawthorne.

The Tigers will take the afternoon off before the first real day of two-a-days begins on Tuesday. They are scheduled to practice at 8:30 a.m. and again at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday on the intramural fields.

Yo, I read on another forum that Brandon Cox said he's looking forward to going up against Mike Jenkins and Trae Williams, any truth to that?

i havent read it but im sure its true if you saw that... the players and coaches know whats up with USF .. just some of the dumbass fans

at Tray Blackmon's comments about Steve gandy's concussions (kinda dirty) : Starting middle linebacker, Tray Blackmon, another of the Tiger's most aggressive players, said he sometimes thinks about how brain injuries could affect his life decades from now. Still, he tries to suppress those images.
"If you're able you have to suck it up and keep going", Blackmon said. "Steve, he's a guy who could if he would. Stingers, concussions, all that - it's all part of being a hitter out here. I've probably had a couple."

yup its official ... Steve Gandy gives football up.. heres Tubs quotes on the situation

“Steve Gandy has decided to give it up after four concussions, bad knees and a bad thigh,” said head coach Tommy Tuberville. “It was too much for him to handle. It was time. He did everything we asked of him the last six months. He gave it his best shot, but sometimes your body gives out. We wanted him to have a good, long life. This is secondary--the football part--when it comes to your health. He did a good job for us. Hopefully we’ve helped him as much as he’s helped us.”

pretty good list even though carrols talent is already developed, he just has to find out how to get all the talent playing time... which he does a good job of

totally agree on Frank Beamer and the rest also ... Rich Rod was also one of the 1st to come to mind

reason I say Tuberville is cuz not up until the last 2-3 years his recruiting classes were average with a few blue chips (C. Williams, Jason Campbell) and hes 33-5 over the last 3 seasons... and hes also a big game coach

Talk about it in The Bunker
Junior Robert Dunn has played in 21 games the last two seasons but has totaled only seven career receptions and has yet to score a touchdown.

But those numbers are set for a big boost this fall.

After finishing spring practice on a strong note, Dunn has been one of AU's most explosive offensive players through the first week of two-a-days. He's currently AU's first-team slot receiver and may also return punts.

"Dunn has been good for us, not only in a leadership role, but he's been making plays in practice," said AU receivers coach Greg Knox. "He's matured a lot, and it's starting to show."

AuburnSports.com
Dunn has been a standout during two-a-days.
The talent has always been there for Dunn. Now, he's added the maturity and inner drive to push himself on and off the field.

"I think I've grown a whole lot, mentally and physically, on and off the field," said Dunn. "The coaches talk to me all the time about taking care of business, and that was just something I just kind of put to the side. I just did it when the time came.

"I'm just trying to take care of everything right now in the moment and not wait until the last minute to do everything."

AU head coach Tommy Tuberville has definitely noticed the change.

"I've just seen a change in attitude and work ethic," said Tuberville. "He's wanting to be a real good football player. He stays after practice and before practice. He's going to be a key wide receiver in this offense."

Dunn has also made a big improvement in the classroom. He made three A's and one B this summer.

And now he's counting the days until the season opener against Kansas State on Sept. 1. Not even a hyperextended knee can slow Dunn down, who missed Thursday's morning practice before returning for the evening session.

"The coaches are noticing that I'm stepping up and taking care of business," said Dunn. "It's really paying off for me, on and off the field."

Practice scare

Auburn practiced for 90 minutes in shells Thursday evening. There was a bit of a scare during team drills when tailback Brad Lester took a handoff up the middle and went down under a pile of players. He was helped off the field with a knee injury but Tuberville said it doesn't appear serious.

"He just bruised it," said Tuberville. "He'll be back tomorrow.

"He got hit with a helmet to his knee but he'll be fine."

Quick Hitters:

***Senior Leon Hart was excused from Thursday's evening practice due to a family issue.

"Leon had to go home, family deal," said Tuberville. "He'll be back tomorrow night."

***With Hart gone, Mike Berry worked with the first-team at RG and Bart Eddins worked with the second-team at RG. For the third straight practice true freshman Lee Ziemba worked with the first-team at RT.

***Redshirt freshman QB Neil Caudle received most of the reps with the second team this evening. Junior Blake Field didn't take any snaps.

***Freshman WR Chris Slaughter got his first significant reps during team drills, even hauling in a few passes.

***LB Chris Evans picked off Caudle during team drills. Also in team drills, Zach Gilbert had a nice pass break-up as did Jerraud Powers.

***Auburn worked a good bit of the evening on its two-minute offense.

***The Tigers closed out Thursday's evening session with a kicking competition. Ross Gornall was 3-of-4 while Graham Sutter was 4-of-4. Both Gornall and Sutter nailed a 41-yarder at the end of practice to keep the team out of extra running.

***Auburn's annual Fan Day is Saturday, Aug. 11 from 3-5 p.m. CT at Beard-Eaves Coliseum. The football team, Tuberville, members of the Auburn volleyball and soccer teams, along with the cheerleaders and Aubie will be available for autographs. Posters and schedule cards will be provided at no charge and AU fans will be able to purchase a copy of the Football Media Guide.

***Auburn will return to practice Friday morning at 8:15 a.m. AU's will hold its first scrimmage of the fall Saturday morning in Jordan-Hare Stadium at 8:45 a.m. The scrimmage is closed to the public.

Talk about it in The Bunker
Junior Merrill Johnson knew he would be depended on this season. The starting weakside backer always is.

But when Steve Gandy, Johnson's back-up, was forced to give up football earlier this week, Johnson's role became even more important.

With Gandy out, Johnson would be getting more reps, which in turn meant he needed to be in top-shape.

Good thing for Johnson, he spent the last six months doing that.

AuburnSports.com
Johnson has become a leader of the LB corps.
As a sophomore in 2006, Johnson played in all 13 games racking up 35 tackles, but admits, his stamina wasn't where it needed to be. Midway through the season, Johnson, who was just below 200 pounds at the time, was tired. His body wasn't able to take the grind of a 13-game season in the SEC.

"I did (lose focus) after a while (last year)," Johnson said. "My body just wore down."

So this offseason, Johnson added nearly 15 pounds of muscle and said he can tell the difference.

"He's doing well," said Willis. "He's still playing physical and putting his nose in there. He has enough weight and strength now to handle it the whole season."

And Willis knows Johnson will need it. With the weight, Johnson doesn't have to worry about wearing down. He can concentrate on being a better player.

"What he's doing now is trying to get more into the game, understanding personnel groupings, formations, alignments, depth of the back and doing his responsibility on defense," said Willis. "I think once that really comes for him, he's going to be a great player. Not a good player, but a great player.

"It takes those things to get there, but he has all the tools."

Quarterback woes

AU head coach Tommy Tuberville was not pleased with his quarterbacks following Thursday's morning practice.

"I've been disappointed in our quarterbacks," said Tuberville. "I'm going to have a little talk with them. We've got to have some leadership out of them. We're out here going through the motions and they need to be the leaders. You'll see a change attitude in the quarterbacks today."

Starting quarterback Brandon Cox says all five quarterbacks need to focus better to get through the hot practices.

"The back-up quarterbacks, there are four of them who are f!ghting for the job," said Cox. "Yesterday, we had a bad practice throwing the ball. That was on us. We didn't practice as well as we should have. We need to step it up."

Tuberville thinks one of the problems is the Tigers are practicing too many players at the position. He says that will change soon.

"I'm going to cut down to three pretty quick," said Tuberville. "I'm going to take the best three and go with them. We've got to have a sense of urgency there because everybody runs off their tempo."

Bumps & bruises

Tuberville was also disappointed in the number of players missing practice Thursday morning.

"We're letting nick-picky things keep us out of practice," said Tuberville. "We're not going to practice if they're hurt physically, but you have to work through pain and soreness.

"We've got some guys pushing through it, and some are letting their buddies take their reps for them. That's football. You find out about young men when you come out here."

Wide receiver Robert Dunn will be out a few days with a hyperextended knee while both wide receiver Montez Billings (hamstring) and Bryant Miller (ankle) left Thursday's practice early.

"I hope to get (Billings) back in a couple of days," said Tuberville. "(Miller) tweaked his ankle. He'll be back this afternoon. If I'm coming, he's coming."

***Freshman center Ryan Pugh continued to earn praise from the AU staff following Thursday's practice.

"Ryan Pugh probably hurts more than some of the guys sitting out, but that shows you his mentality, how much he wants to play, how important it is," said Tuberville.

***Freshman Lee Ziemba worked with the first-team at RT for the second straight but struggled against Quentin Groves and Antonio Coleman in pass rush drill. He still earned praise from Tuberville following a practice brawl with DT Josh Thompson.

"Lee is going to be a good football player," said Tuberville. "You don't like to see f!ghting, but you like to see guys taking up for themselves. There wasn't much to it. Even Josh said, 'You might have yourself somebody over there coach.'"

***Groves continues to be very impressive. Not only was he a standout once again in pass-rush drills, but he had multiple "sacks" in team drills.

***DT Tez Doolittle batted down a pass in team drills. Doolittle has had a strong camp entering his senior season.

***DB's Walter McFadden and Zac Etheridge both made big plays during 7-on-7 and team drills. They both had multiple pass break-ups.

***Freshman LB Bo Harris continues to have an impressive fall camp. The former prep running back, who is now working second-team at the strongside linebacker spot, had an interception during 7-on-7 skele.

***QB Neil Caudle hooked up with freshman WR Quindarius Carr on a long, go-route down the left sideline in team drills. Carr made a great, over-the-shoulder catch, placed perfectly by Caudle. CB Jonathan Wilhite was providing good coverage.

***Both Zach Kutch and Wes Byrum were perfect in the field goal competition at the end of practice. They both made kicks from 25, 33, 35, and 40 yards, and then had to make 2-of-3 from 42 yards to keep the team from running 10 40-yard sprints. Kutch and Byrum nailed the first two and didn't have to try a third.

"Those two are putting a lot of pressure on the other two," said Tuberville. "It's good to have competition. Saturday, or whenever we scrimmage, will be a big day for them."

Both Ross Gornall and Graham Sutter will kick at the end of Thursday's evening practice.

***Auburn will hold its second practice of the day Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

Talk about it in The Bunker
Lee Ziemba knows that playing in the SEC as a true freshman is rare. And being a starter? Close to impossible. But the 6-foot-8, 297-pounder from Rogers, Ark. just wanted a chance.

Wednesday, during a two-hour session on the intramural fields, he got it.

Ziemba, the most heralded offensive line signee in Auburn's No. 1-ranked OL class, worked with the first team at right tackle.

He first learned of the promotion shortly before practice.

AuburnSports.com
Ziemba did well against Groves in a pass rush drill Wednesday.
"Coach Hugh Nall put that list on the meeting room door and I was surprised," said Ziemba of seeing his name atop the RT depth chart. "It made me want to come out here and be good.

"(The depth chart) changes around a lot, but it encouraged me to go out there and do my best and try to keep it that way."

Ziemba is the fifth player to be given the chance at the right tackle spot in the first week of fall camp. Antwoin Daniels, Oscar Gonzalez, Andrew McCain and even Mike Berry have all taken reps with the ones as Nall tries to find a starter.

"I tried each one of them, and I haven't been happy with what I've seen," said Nall.

So Wednesday, it was Ziemba's turn, and the former Rivals100 prospect didn't disappoint.

During pass-rush drills, he went up against Mr. All-Everything DE Quentin Groves, and for the first time this fall, Groves was actually slowed down.

Ziemba more than held his own 2-out-of-3 times against Groves.

"He did some good things, he really did," said Nall. "For the most part, he knows what to do. It's just a matter of still caching up with the speed of the game, and the technique you need to catch up with that speed."

Ziemba was excited to be going up against Groves.

"He's a great player and I'm honored to be on the same field as him, wearing the same practice pants," said Ziemba. "He's going to do nothing but make me better. I appreciate him going against me."

Working with the ones during fall camp and being the starter come Sept. 1 are two different things. Ziemba's path to the top was tough, but holding on to it may be even tougher.

"I'm going to try my best. If that puts me in a starting job, then that's where I need to be," he said. "It's not about the job. It's about me being the best player I can be and doing everything Coach Nall tells me to do."

AuburnSports.com
Coulahan worked at DT for the 2nd straight day.
Especially if that's to run onto the field in the first quarter against Kansas State.

Another move

True freshman Brent Slusher got an early start on his college career by reporting in January and going through spring drills. But after working at tight end in the spring, Slusher found himself learning a new position – defensive end – at the start of two-a-days.

On Wednesday, he was working at linebacker, his third position since joining the Tigers. Linebackers coach James Willis thinks Slusher may have found a permanent home.

"He did well," said Willis. "He didn't do much scrimmaging. He's got everything that a linebacker needs, movement, vision. I think he'll be OK. I'll try to ease him into it, give him time to make adjustments and go from there."

Slusher worked at middle linebacker Wednesday and Willis plans to leave him there for now.

"He's going to play in the middle," said Willis. "If things happen, we'll move him back to the outside. He can run, we'll start him off inside, see what happens."

Feels like home

True freshman Kyle Coulahan played defensive line in high school so when he made the move from offensive guard to d-line Tuesday, it was sort of like a homecoming.

"It's another level, D-I defensive line, but I'm enjoying it," said Coulahan. "It's what I played in high school and it's definitely more comfortable.

"We'll see how it goes. We're going to give it the rest of two-a-days and hopefully it will be permanent."

With three d-linemen out with minor injuries, Coulahan was working with the second-team in Wednesday's practice. While defensive tackles coach Don Dunn says Coulahan still has a lot to learn, he likes what he's seen so far.

"I see some toughness and aggressiveness and he's a big, strong kid," said Dunn. "He's 309 pounds. He played defense in high school and knows what that side of the ball is like.

"We're excited about him and going to take a good look at him over there."

Injuries thin DT position

Auburn is short at the d-tackle position with Jermarcus Ricks (hamstring), Mike Blanc (ankle/hand) and Zach Clayton (neck) all missing Wednesday's practice with minor injuries.

AU head coach Tommy Tuberville hopes to have Blanc and Clayton back Thursday and Ricks back this weekend.

Fullback Carl Stewart is still out with a hamstring injury while defensive end Antonio Coleman appears back to full speed from his hamstring injury.

"It was good to see (Coleman) back," said Tuberville. "(Stewart) is another week. He's getting a lot better."

Quick Hitters:

***The depth issues at d-tackle forced Auburn to work d-end Bryant Miller inside during Wednesday's practice. Dunn says Miller will continue to work at both positions and isn't ruling out a permanent move to d-tackle.

***True freshman PK Wes Byrum was very impressive kicking off Wednesday. He kicked 2-of-3 into the end zone. The lone exception landed on the goal line. Byrum's other two kicks landed three yards and seven yards deep into the end zone. He was kicking from the 30-yard line.

Walk-on Ross Gornall kicked 1-of-2 into the end zone as did Patrick Tatum. Gornall's miss landed on the 13-yard line. Tatum's on the 10.

***The defense controlled much of the team drills Wednesday, especially the secondary led by Jonathan Wilhite and Jerraud Powers who both had pass breakups.

***Coulahan went up against good friend and fellow true freshman Chaz Ramsey in a pass rush drill Thursday. Ramsey knocked Coulahan to the ground twice but Coulahan bounced back to knock Ramsey in the backfield during a team drill.

***Punter Ryan Shoemaker missed Wednesday's practice with a pulled groin. Tuberville is not expecting him back for at least a week.

"That will cost him," said Tuberville. "It will be tough on him to make it. Wes Byrum and Patrick Tatum will be punting. We'll see how those guys work."

***QB Brandon Cox was one of 35 QB's to be named to the Manning Award Watch List, which honors the nation's top QB.

***Tuberville was not pleased with Wednesday's practice, blaming the 98-degree temperature for the lack of intensity.

"It wasn't a very good practice today," said Tuberville. "We didn't get a lot out of it. The heat got us early and kind of talked us out of it.

"We've got to get mentally tougher than what we were today. We took a little step backwards. I just promised them tomorrow we'll take a step forward, one way or the other."

Kennesaw, Ga.--Auburn picked up its eight verbal commitment for the 2007 football signee class when Darvin Adams chose the Auburn Tigers on Friday night.

Adams, who says he currently checks in at 6-3, 186 pounds, notes that he picked Auburn over LSU and Tennessee.

A standout at an Auburn summer camp, Adams also had offers from Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Virginia Tech.

“I really feel good about the coaching staff at Auburn,” Adams tells Inside the Auburn Tigers. “I liked LSU and Tennessee, but after talking it over with my father, Auburn is the place for me.”

Adams, who showed good speed at the Auburn camps, says he is still working to improve in that area. “I run a 4.48 in the 40, but I am still working to get that down. I would say that is my strength along with catching the football. Actually, one of my strongest points is blocking. I actually like blocking.”

Adams, who also plays power forward in basketball, is a two-way player in football who also lines up in the secondary for the Harrison High School.
A visitor to Auburn for both individual and 7-on-7 camps in his high school career, Adams breaks down his thoughts on the Tigers as well.

“Auburn, I have been going there since the 9th grade,” Adams says. “I have been liking Auburn for a long time. I’ve gotten familiar with the coaches, Coach (Greg) Knox, Coach (Tommy) Tuberville, Coach (Will) Muschamp. When I go there I feel like I’m at home.”

Auburn, Ala.--It was hard to find much to be happy about on the offensive side of the ball coming out of Auburn’s first scrimmage of the preseason but one thing that everyone seemed to talk about was the play of true freshman quarterback Kodi Burns. Locked in a battle for the backup job along with Blake Field, Neil Caudle and Steven Ensminger, Burns helped himself tremendously with several big plays Saturday morning and says he feels good about what he did on the field.

“I think it went okay,” Burns says. “I don’t want to say it did good because I didn’t stay in the pocket as much as I wanted to. That’s my first time being out there so it was a little bit different. It was a different speed but overall I got used to it. As the scrimmage went on I got a little more comfortable.

”I feel better about the scrimmage because in practice I really couldn’t do what I wanted to do,” he adds. “Now after the scrimmage I feel like I’ve got a little bit more respect from my teammates about what I can do.”

In a change from normal procedure, all of the quarterbacks with the exception of Brandon Cox were made live targets for the defense in Saturday’s scrimmage. That led to a shoulder injury for redshirt freshman Neil Caudle and was a little different for most but for Burns it was something he’s been waiting on.

”It was a lot better,” Burns says. “I went to my a.ssistant QB Coach (Offensive Grad a.ssistant Joe Hollis) and asked him if I could get a different jersey because I was sick of not being able to get hit. I was sick of everybody saying ‘we had you down, we had you down’ in practice when they really didn’t. I was just ready to get a jersey and go out there and be able to get hit and find out what it’s really like.

”It’s nothing like a game but it’s the closest thing to a game,” he adds. “I think I showed what I can do. Also with a lot more reps I know I can be a lot better. That’s what it’s all about. In this scrimmage I got a lot more reps than I do in practice. I feel like the more reps I get the better I get.”

While his legs were the most impressive part of his day for his teammates with the Arkansas native ripping off a pair of 30+ yard runs, Burns says his big pass play of around 35 yards to teammate and roommate Quindarius Carr was something he was proud of because of how it happened.

“There were some big plays but I was looking to pass first,” Burns says. “A guy got loose so I had to get around him and stay in the pocket. I stepped up and I saw him coming over on the post. I just kind of pointed my hand. That’s my roommate so we already knew what to do. I just let it go up there and let him make a play.”

With his first scrimmage under his belt, Burns says that he’s not concerning himself with the quarterback race or trying to win the backup job. He says if he keeps learning and improving then everything will take care of itself in the end.

”I’m just trying to go out there and compete,” Burns says. “Everybody wants to play and I definitely want to play. I feel like if I go out there and compete in practice every day and try to lead my team in the huddle then Coach (Al) Borges will look at that and Coach Tubs (Tommy Tuberville) and they’ll make their evaluation.”

:applause: .... go on and put him at no. 2 and get him ready for next year cuz our schedules a lot better in 08 (besides playing in WV to kick it off; we get all the teams we got on the road this year at home in 08)

Talk about it in The Bunker
With one of its top targets already in the fold in Picayune (Miss.) High CB Drew Cole, and another likely CB in Blair Irvin, Auburn could still be looking to add at least two more corners in the 2008 class.

The Tigers have already targeted some of the country's top prospects at the position and today AuburnSports.com brings to the forefront five recruits Tiger fans should keep an eye on until February.

Five to Follow: Corners

T.J. Bryant

Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln
6-foot-1, 175 pounds

Scholarship offers: Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Georgia, LSU, Southern Cal, Tennessee, among others
Recruited by: Steve Ensminger
The competition: Florida State
The Skinny: Bryant is one of the top cornerback prospects in the country. He picked up dozens of early offers including one from Auburn, but recently cut his options down to 10. No real surprise, the Tigers found themselves on that list. Auburn has been a "hot" school at Lincoln recently signing Tim Lamb and Mike Slade in 2007, and Craig Stevens the year before. Having familiar faces on the team is always an advantage. As with any top Lincoln recruit, Florida State is the a.ssumed team to beat, but Auburn and USC could be the darkhorses.
Bryant on Auburn… "My interest in Auburn is real high … I like the f!ght in them, how they never give up and play as a team. And I really like their defense. They are consistently a top-ranked defense and that is what I want to be a part of."
Video Highlights

Janoris Jenkins

Pahokee (Fla.) High
5-foot-10, 170 pounds

Scholarship offers: Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, among others
Recruited by: Eddie Gran
The competition: Florida
The Skinny: Jenkins was arguably the top cornerback prospect to camp on the Plains this past summer. He recently blew up in the recruiting rankings, landing in the Rivals100 and named No. 7 CB in the country. Jenkins is a very high target for the Tigers, and the feeling appears to be mutual. Jenkins is likely to return to Auburn on an official visit for the Kansas State game.
Jenkins on AU's summer camp… "That was my first time at Auburn. It was nice. They showed me some love. I really liked the campus. Coach (Will) Muschamp was great. He seemed like a real nice guy. We watched some game film and he showed me how they play man and zone. I really like how they play a lot of man-to-man. It helped Auburn a lot. I like the coaching staff there. They taught me things I didn't know. And they are good with the players."
Video Highlights

Jeremy Brown

Orlando (Fla.) Boone
5-foot-10, 165 pounds

Scholarship offers: Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Tennessee, North Carolina, among others
Recruited by: Terry Price
The competition: Florida, Georgia
The Skinny: Brown recently trimmed his list to five (Auburn, Georgia, Florida, LSU and North Carolina), and already has three of his official visits set including one to AU for the Kansas State game. Brown also took an unofficial visit to Auburn in July. The Tigers led early for Brown, and have remained at or near the top since. However, in-state Florida has gotten into the mix and could be the team to beat. Brown is a friend of current AU commitment Damion Allen so the Tigers have that working for them. Official visit to the Plains Labor Day weekend will be big.
Brown on Auburn… "They've got a nice family atmosphere. The coaching staff is great, and the players are real close. That's what I'm looking for. Auburn has a great program and is one of those top teams in the SEC year-in and year-out. They're high on my list, without a doubt."
Video Highlights

T'Sharvan Bell

Seminole (Fla.) Osceola
6-foot, 170 pounds

Scholarship offers: Auburn, Clemson, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, West Virginia, Purdue, N.C. State, among others
Recruited by: Terry Price
The competition: Clemson
The Skinny: If Jenkins was the top corner at Auburn's camps, Bell wasn't far behind. The Sunshine State DB was very impressive. Following the visit, Bell named the Tigers his leader, and it appears to be an Auburn/Clemson battle for him at this point. Bell is planning to return to Auburn for the Kansas State game on an unofficial visit, and then again later in the year for an official.
Bell after AU's June camp… "I liked the coaches, the players, the facilities, everything really. I really liked all of the coaches. Coach Muschamp and coach Price are really straightforward, real cool and honest. That was my first time in Auburn. It was really good, better than I expected. The sports complex, I was like 'wow'. I went inside the stadium, too. It was cool, too."
Video Highlights

George Baker

Miami (Fla.) Archbishop Carroll
5-foot-11, 170 pounds

Scholarship offers: Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, Kansas State, Rutgers, among others
Recruited by: Eddie Gran
The competition: Florida, UCF, Rutgers
The Skinny: Baker is a very good all-around athlete, a guy who could play many positions including kick/punt returner. But Auburn likes him at corner, and after attending camp on the Plains and working with Muschamp, Baker agreed his future may be there. Baker is another guy who left the camp with the Tigers atop his list of favorites. And nothing has changed since. Baker will likely be in Auburn for the season-opener, possibly on an official visit.
Baker on Auburn… "I really like the Auburn coaches. They're all down-to-earth and they are coaches that I feel like I could come and talk to if I ever had a problem. The campus is beautiful. It's big, and the whole town is Auburn. It's a city that's built around the school and all their fans get involved."

Talk about it in The Bunker
After 14 straight days of practice including three split-squad sessions and four two-a-days, Auburn's fall camp came to an end Wednesday night.

And the Tigers polished the grueling two-week span off nicely.

AuburnSports.com
Davis will be missed in the return game the first few weeks of the seaon.
Auburn practiced for nearly two hours on the intramural fields in what appeared to be one of the better practices of camp.

"For the last day of two-a-days, it was good," said head coach Tommy Tuberville.

The wide receivers, which had been called out by the coaches for their poor play recently, were particularly impressive. The group, led by Rod Smith and Robert Dunn, did not have a drop all night. Freshman Chris Slaughter also had several catches in 11-on-11 work with the second-team.

Auburn spent a lot of time working on its two-minute game, with the offense and defense giving "live"¯ looks without tackling.

Following practice, the players and coaches were treated to watermelon, a tradition marking the end of two-a-days.

DL Tez Doolittle and LB Steve Gandy were lost for the season. Doolittle tore his Achilles. Gandy was forced to give up football because of concussions.

Quick Hitters:

* K Zach Kutch bounced back from a 1-for-5 night Tuesday to connect on 3-for-3 (33, 38, 43). Walk-on Graham Sutter was also perfect on the night. Wes Byrum was 2-for-3, missing from 43 yards out to prevent extra running. Ross Gornall was also good on 2-of-3 kicks.

* Caudle was in attendance Wednesday night wearing street clothes and sporting a sling on his right arm. Caudle is recovering from a Grade II sprain to his throwing shoulder.

* With Green out, Antwoin Daniels and Byron Isom worked in his place with the first-team. Lee Ziemba was first-team right tackle. Andrew McCain worked at second-team left tackle.

* Some of the highlights from practice included a big catch from TE Tommy Trott, who caught a well-thrown Brandon Cox pass over the reach of Zac Etheridge.

* WR Tim Hawthorne also made a nice grab on a perfectly thrown pass from Blake Field.

* CB Pat Lee also had a good pass break-up that would've been good for a touchdown.

* Auburn will take Thursday off as classes get underway. The Tigers are expected to resume practice Friday night for the second major scrimmage of the fall. The scrimmage will be inside Jordan-Hare Stadium and will be closed to the public and media.